The Atlanta Affair
by Poison Ivy1
Summary: One girl's quest for romance on a spring trip and the events following. Sorry if it hasn't changed, but I've decided to make this a PG-13 now.
1. The Beginning

The Atlanta Affair

The Atlanta Affair

Chapter 1

"Really, Angela, you think something's gonna happen?"

The entire band, guard and dance team had been looking forward all year to the annual spring band trip.Especially Angela Crane.THIS was her chance with Jarod Dalton, the senior who she had been crushing on since fall season.He was the reason that she had been looking forward to these five days all year.Recently, she had made it a point to strike up a friendship with him, but she was still behind schedule.The trip was tomorrow, and despite their close friendship, they weren't quite there yet.

Angela nodded at smiled at her friend, Kelly."Just watch.Everything will come together perfectly according to plan."

"I wish I were going," Kelly told her."I'd love to miss some school and get away from Dustin."

Angela rolled her eyes."I thought that you were going to dump him."  
"I changed my mind," Kelly replied."I never really got around to it, so I decided not to."

"Gee, great philosophy," Angela said.Kelly had always been a little off-kilter and inconsistent when it came to men.Angela, however, had gotten her heart set on Jarod since the middle of fall season, when she was the color guard runner and he was the drum line captain.She had first seen him at a guard practice.The guard had been annoyed with the percussion for practicing on the field during their time, but Angela didn't mind.That was the first time that she had decided what her fate was, and she would do whatever it took to seal it.

Unfortunately, she had later learned that he had a girlfriend who went to a nearby school, and the fact that three years separated them didn't make it any easier for her.Still, she was sure that something was going to happen, and she was going to make sure of it.

"Anyway," Kelly said as the bus reached Angela's stop, "I'll talk to you in the morning."

Angela stood up and grabbed her bookbag. "Wish me luck."

"Yeah, you're gonna need a hell of a lot," Kelly replied and Angela stepped off.

******************************

The day was here, and one could feel the excitement growing as the 92 students and chaperones boarded the coach buses for Atlanta.The ten-hour ride didn't excite Angela whatsoever, but the bus rides were the best part of competitions in the fall.Especially if you were next to the right person.

"Angela," her friend Alyssa teased when she saw Jarod get on the bus."He's sitting alone and so are you."

"Give it time," Angela said mysteriously."I'm not blind."

"Did you just say you're not blond?" another guard member, Kim, asked.

"I'm not BLIND," Angela responded.

Her luck seemed to be kicking in as a couple entered the bus and needed to sit together.The only available seats were the one next to her and the one next to Jarod.Her heart soared as he came to sit by her."Hey, can I sit here?" he asked and smiled his killer grin.She had to confess that he looked cute in a baseball cap and sunglasses, kind of a rugged, dark attractiveness that she loved.

She smiled back and moved her bags."Feel free," she answered and breathed deeply to calm herself._Don't make anything obvious, she warned herself.__Not yet.Through the corner of her eye, she could see all the guard girls – Alyssa, Kim, Carrie, Lisa, Kristine, Jen, Abby and Melissa - smiling at her and whispering.She warningly gave them the finger.Abby, who was sitting across the aisle with another band guy, Josh, gestured to them and gave Angela thumbs up.Angela shook her head and put her headphones on._

The conversation most of the way was pleasant and friendly.She had to admit that even if it turned out that he didn't feel the same way about her that she felt about him, he would be a good friend anyway.

******************************

Jarod looked out the window to where Angela was looking.The drive through rural southside Virginia was long and tedious, through small towns and cow pastures, but being with her made it go faster.She was pretty, of course, and sometimes he thought of her as more of a friend.But Blair High School social circles wouldn't allow it – he was a senior who wasn't exactly part of the mainstream, wasn't constantly on the honor roll and kept to himself; she was a bubbly freshman who had something to say about everything, was on the distinguished honor roll and was part of the "in" crowd.He loved her company, though, and their meetings during A lunch on even days and their walk to her fourth period class were two things that he looked forward to every other day.He had a girlfriend, who he had been completely committed to for two and a half years.But he often found himself struggling not to think about Angela and her dark eyes and bright smile, her verbose opinions, and her springy way of walking and talking that Emily, his girlfriend, just didn't seem to possess.

"Any idea where we are?" Angela's voice interrupted his thoughts of her."Hello?"

"Um, I think somewhere near South Hill," Jarod answered, still distracted by her.

"We've only been here for two hours," Angela said and sighed."Eight more to go.I'm gonna be beat by the time we get there."

Jarod smiled and saw her eyes light up_._She must like my smile, he thought._I'll have to make it a point to do it more often in front of her._

"Angela!" he heard one of her friends call."Switch seats with Jarod, I need to talk to you."

"That okay?" she asked.

"No problem," he answered and moved so she could slide over.He put his headphones back on and settled down for the rest of the trip.


	2. The Question

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So what have you two been talking about?" Kristine asked."You would think that you're the only two people in the world when you two talk together."

"I know," Angela responded and grinned.She noticed that Kristine was having difficulty with two boys behind them.

"Hey, Kristine!" one, David, called out.

Kristine rolled her eyes and turned around."What, David?"

"Would you mind if I raped you?"

"EXCUSE ME?!?!?!"

"Would you mind if I raped you?" David repeated.

"I would, as a matter of fact," Kristine replied.

"What if you were unconscious?" David persisted."You wouldn't know."

"How could you not know?" Angela asked.

"She just wouldn't," David replied."What about you?Can I rape you?"

"Um, let me get back to you on that," Angela answered.

"So anyway, Angela," Abby said and giggled."You liking the trip so far?"

Angela nodded mysteriously."How's Josh?"

"Fine, if I could get his hands off of me," Abby said."Josh, stop squeezing my ass!"

"But I like your ass, baby," Josh argued.

"Josh, I love you and all, but I don't love you like that.Now get your hand off my ass before I scream!"

"That would be easier if you weren't on my lap," Josh said.

Abby blushed."Oh yeah."She quickly slid off of him."Now you won't have an excuse to squeeze my ass.So anyway, Angie, how is it sitting next to the love of your life, who happens to be completely unattainable?"

"It's fine," Angela told her.

"Can I ask Jarod if he likes you?" Alyssa asked,

"What?No!" Angela exclaimed.

"Too bad, because I'm going to in about," she looked at her watch, "45 seconds."

"Don't," Angela persisted.

"Aren't you the least bit interested in his answer?" asked Melissa.

"Well, yeah, but…" Angela trailed off.She sighed in defeat and put her headphones on to pretend that she wasn't listening.She really was interested in the answer, she just always figured that she would ask him instead of one of her meddling friends.

"Time's up!" Alyssa said, excited."JAROD!!"

He slid his headphones off."Yeah?"Angela turned down the volume on her Bon Jovi as she sent Alyssa a look of death.

"Do you like Angela?" she asked, a silly grin on her face.She winked at Angela as Angela's stare grew deadlier.

"Yeah," he replied.Angela made sure that he wasn't looking as she smiled.

"Is she one of your friends?" Alyssa continued.

"Sure, I guess," he said.

"Do you think she's pretty??" Abby threw in.

Angela was nervous now."Do I have to answer truthfully?" he asked.

"Of course, stupid!" Kim answered."Don't worry, she's not listening."However, Angela could hear every word that they were saying.

"In that case," Jarod said honestly, "yes."

"Hey, Angela!" Abby screamed."Jarod thinks you're hot!He said so himself!Tell her, Jarod!"

"It's okay, he doesn't have to," Angela said.She leaned closer to Alyssa and whispered, "Next stop and YOU WILL DIE."

"I can't help it," Alyssa said."I like helping people."

"So do I!" the guy behind her, Greg said."You're hot.I'm Greg."

"I'm Alyssa," she said, introducing herself.

"I know," he said."I was listening to your conversation with Angela and Kristine."

"Oh, okay," Alyssa replied.They continued talking about various things.He was kind of cute and funny, she thought.And he was only a year older than her and single, so it was easier for her to get him than it was for Angela to get Jarod.

"Dude, could you imagine our double dates?" David piped up in the middle of Alyssa, Greg and Kristine's conversation."Me and Kristine and you two.Hey, maybe if Josh and Abby and Angela and Jarod work things out, we could QUADRUPLE date!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Angela warned him."He's got a girlfriend."

"But you like him, right?" Greg asked.

"Well, yeah, but it'll never work," Angela argued.

"But you haven't given up," Josh said."Look, you've been working on this since September.You haven't come this far for nothing.Something's gonna happen soon, trust me."

"Thanks, Josh," Angela said and gave him a grateful smile.

Jarod smiled.He had heard every word that they had said, and Josh was right.She hadn't come this far for nothing, and something was going to happen._When was the question._


	3. The Catfight

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Angela felt something poking her, waking her up from her nap."What?" she groggily answered.She looked up and saw a pair of dark eyes looking at her."Oh, sorry Jarod," she said, sitting up."I must be a really boring seat partner."

"It's okay, and trust me, you're not boring," Jarod replied and smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked and fixed her hair.

"Nothing," he said."Anyway, we're in North Carolina getting dinner."

"Where in North Carolina?" she said.

"Hickville," he replied with a chuckle.

She looked out the window and saw a sign that read GREAT BIG NORTH CAROLINA FLEA MARKET staring back."Yes we are."She trudged out of her seat and out of the bus.Once the Chaperone Nazi, Mrs. Anderson, told them what to do and what not to do for dinner, Angela and the rest of the guard headed to McDonald's, and Jarod and his friends headed to another fast food place.

"Great," Carrie whispered."The Whore Team is coming here too."

Angela groaned and turned around.She was friends with some of the girls on the dance team, but most weren't worth the bother, namely Katie Parker, Eve Pierson and Katrina Miller.The others, mostly only Cassie Dawson, Melanie Morgan, Amy Casey and Nicole Powers, were somewhat worth the time.The other nine came and went, depending on their moods.

"Oh my GOD!!!" Angela heard Erin exclaim in her extremely whiny voice."Why are we going to McDONALD'S?This place is soooo greasy and nasty!"

"Suck it up, hoochie," Nicole, the captain, called back to her."God, most of the time I can't stand my own team."

"Neither can we," Lisa honestly told her."Carrie, can we pleeeease go to Burger King?"

Carrie rolled her eyes."Fine."They walked across the street to Burger King and left the others to deal with the dancers.

"ANGELA!!!!!"Angela's best friend in the band, McKenzie, came running up to her."I heard that you sat next to your lover Jarod on the bus."

Katie, Eve and Katrina turned to her."The SENIOR Jarod Dalton?" Katie whined.

Angela nodded shyly."Yeah."

"Oh my God Angela, you look soooo pretty today!" Katrina gushed."Did you get a haircut?"

"Nope, I got them all cut," Angela curtly replied and pushed past them."I swear, they are the most superficial people in the world. They wouldn't give you the time of day unless you're rich, popular, pretty or friends with upperclassmen."They entered the restaurant, got their food and sat down.The dancers, unfortunately, picked a table right next to theirs.

"So Angela," prodded Katie, "what happened with you?I mean, why did he pick you and not someone like, well, me?"

"Give it a rest, Katie," Cassie said warningly."Seriously, Angie, how is it?"

"It's great," Angela said and couldn't help smiling.

"Cool, I'm so happy for you!" Melanie congratulated.

"God, you two," Eve condescendingly remarked, "you're talking to a GUARD person.Not just that, it's a FRESHMAN guard slut."

Angela stood up, ready to fight."Watch it, Angie," Alyssa warned."Even though you could kick her ass."

"Ahem, we're freshman as well, Eve," Cassie challenged."And how is she a slut?"

"Well, I mean…how could you two go against the team!!" Eve exclaimed."You're siding with a GUARD girl."

"I'm lucky that I'm not a WHORE dancer, I'm not talking about you two though," she said and motioned to Cassie and Melanie," Angela argued.She noticed that everyone in the place was watching with rapt interest."And you never clarified exactly how I'm supposed to be a slut, when I'm not the one who throws themselves at anything male that breathes and moves, or wears shirts that end at my midriff and begin halfway down my boobs."

"Go Angie!" she heard Josh yell from the back of the room.

"Joshiieee," Eve whined.

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge and get over it," Angela sneered.

"Do you seriously want to fight?" Eve asked.

Angela shrugged."Sure, why not?"

"Don't, unless you want the Chaperone Nazi to come and send you home," Kristine warned.

"And remember, I have better claws," Eve said with a smirk and showed off her perfectly manicured nails.

"And what would you do if your precious claws were ruined?" Angela asked, then said in a fake baby voice, "Little Evie Weevie can't wear fake nails.Little Evie has a reputation to live up to that she absolutely can't ruin, especially if it was ruined by a – " she gasped for drama, "a GUARD GIRL!What would the jocks say to that, huh?"Angela stepped back."You know, I don't want to fight.I have an unfair advantage in that I actually have brains to use."

As Angela and her group started to walk out the door, they could hear Eve scream, "You're losing your mind, Crane!"

Angela turned around."No, that would be you.But don't worry, you can't lose what you've never had."They walked back towards the bus, leaving Eve, Katie and Katrina in a whole mound of ass-kicking.

*****************************

Frustrated, Angela sat down on the inside seat on the bus and immediately took out her CD player.She popped in her loudest CD on full blast and didn't hear or see Jarod sit down next to her."WHAT?!" she screamed when he finally got her attention.

"Sorry, is it that time of the month?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized."That's the second time in an hour that that's happened, isn't it?"

"No big deal," Jarod answered.

"No, I feel really bad.I always do that, take my anger out on other people.Hershey's?" Angela said, offering him a small bar of chocolate.

"Sure," he replied, taking it."Skittles?"

"Please," Angela responded.

"So you wanna talk about what's pissing you off?" Jarod asked her.

She sighed."It's nothing, really.Eve just pissed me off majorly."

"What'd she do?" Jarod asked.

"It's not what she did, more of what she said," Angela told him."Like I said, nothing major.I'll get over it."

"Dance team supremacy?" he questioned.

"Pretty much it," she said, not willing to give away the real reason of the argument.

"Just ignore them," he told her."Most of them are whores who won't make it in a job that doesn't require one to wear miniskirts and have their non-boobs hanging out.Basically, the only profession that they can consider is prostitution."Angela smiled."You're better than that, though.You're going someplace, so you don't need people like them.Don't worry about it."

Angela slightly blushed."Thank you, really."

"You're welcome," Jarod replied.He noticed that she was shivering."Cold?"

"A little," she confessed.

"Hold on," Jarod said and reached above her to the holder.He pulled out a blanket and put it around her shoulders."That better?"

"Yeah," she said."Thanks.Not just for this," she motioned to the blanket, "but just for talking me through that.I feel a lot better now."

"No problem," he said and smiled at her.They leaned closer together and a kiss seemed like a given until…

"Awww, that's so cute!" Abby burst in ruining the moment."Sorry, but can you two switch seats again?We absolutely have to talk, Angela."

Angela groaned and switched seats."What?"

"I just gotta say that what happened back there at McDonald's was the best thing that has happened on this trip so far," Josh told her."You completely left her in the dust.That was, like, classic.I even got pictures!"

"Thanks, Josh," Angela sarcastically said."But the trip is only about five hours old.And I'm going to give every one of those whores–except for Cassie, Melanie and Nicole–the biggest ass-whooping they have ever seen."


	4. The Game

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Three hours and half of South Carolina later, it was pouring rain and Angela was once again making up for lost sleep.She heard hysterical laughter coming from Carrie, Lisa, Kim, Abby and a band girl, Shelley.She once again woke up and yelled, ""What?!"She looked next to her and noticed that Jarod was missing."Where did Jarod go?"

"Calm down," Kim said."He went back to talk to Greg and David."

"Okay," Angela said."So what's so funny?"

"Don't worry, it's not you," Carrie assured her."Actually, it kind of is.We were talking about what you said to Eve earlier."

"Still?" Angela asked, surprised."That's like, 3 hours old."

"But it was great," Abby said."She so had it coming."

"Like I said, thanks but it's a getting a tad old," Angela replied."By the way, thanks for interrupting earlier."

"Oh, that?" Abby said."I didn't even notice what was happening until I had interrupted you two.Are you seriously or sarcastically thanking me?"

Angela sighed."Maybe a little of both."

"What do you mean?" Alyssa piped up.She had been listening, since Greg was busy talking to Jarod.She had gotten talking to him, and although he was a little weird, he was a nice guy that she wouldn't mind getting to know better.

"I mean, I wanted it but I don't know what I would have done if it had actually happened," Angela explained."Besides, a first kiss on a bus?That's not exactly what I had in mind."

"What do you have in mind?" Kristine asked.

"Something perfect," Angela said, "and that's all I'm saying."

"Tell us!" Shelley prodded.

"How about this," Angela offered."If, and that's IF, something happens, you guys will be the first people to know and I'll tell you everything.Promise."

"Fine," Carrie said.

"You know what, this reminds me of something that we did in winter guard season," Kim said."Remember the game that we played with Colonial Hills High?"

"The pen game?" Abby asked."You know, 'This is a pen.A what?A pen.A what?A pen.Oh, a cup' and so forth?"

"No, not that one," Kim said."The 'Never Ever' game."

"The 'Never Ever' game?" Shelley asked.

"It's great," Angela said."Everyone holds up ten fingers, and you go around the circle and say something that you have never, ever done.If you have done what the person says, you put one finger down.The first person to have all of their fingers down is out."

"Sounds cool," Shelley said and grinned."Let's play."

"Okay, I start," Alyssa said."I have never ever gone all the way."

Thankfully, no one put a finger down.

"Okay, I'm next," Kristine said excitedly."I have never ever gotten past second."

Carrie and Lisa each blushed and put a finger down."Carrie!" Abby exclaimed.

"It was only once," Carrie explained.

"And mine was at a Phish concert, so it doesn't really count," Lisa reasoned.

"Okay," Angela said."I have never ever been kissed by a guy and had it mean anything."

"Never?" Kim asked.

"I've never had it mean anything," Angela clarified."It's happened."

Back where Jarod was sitting by Josh, Greg and David, he was listening to their game."Hear that, Dalton?" Josh asked playfully."She's never been kissed by someone she wanted to be kissed by.That's your chance."

"Quit it, okay?" Jarod exclaimed, frustrated."We're JUST FRIENDS."

"Do JUST FRIENDS lend each other blankets and let each other fall asleep on the other's shoulder?" Josh asked.

"Well, I didn't want to wake her up," Jarod explained.

"Jarod," David began. "Between you and me, this girl is crazy for you.And judging from the way you've been acting, you're just as crazy for her.Take this opportunity, man. She's hot."

"But I'm with Emily," Jarod challenged.

"I've seen you with Emily," another guy, Jake, challenged."It's not the same as when you're with Angela.And she is awfully hot.And if you don't seize the day, I will."

Jarod glared at him."Don't touch her."

"There ya go," Jake said."You're madly in love with her.Give it up and go for it.Meanwhile, let's listen to their game."

"I have never ever gotten high," Kristine said.

Abby blushed and put a finger down."You?!" Kim asked, surprised."Where was I?"

"It was at this party last year, and I got a little wild," Abby explained."And before you ask, that's NOT the reason I'm so stupid.

"You're not stupid," Lisa said, "just ditzy."

"Well, that's as bad," Abby said."Guys hate ditzy girls."

"Not really," Kristine argued."I mean, look at the dancers.Eve has like, two brain cells."

"Yeah, I know," Abby said."Eve isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."

"Neither is Katie," Angela added.

"You guys are just jealous of the dance team," David said."You're jealous because they're more popular and prettier than you guys."

"Whatever," Angela said and rolled her eyes."What's there to be jealous of?They do nothing that I can't."

"Can you wear a miniskirt?" Greg asked.

"Well, I wouldn't want to necessarily," Angela argued."I'd look like them."

"You're jealous," David taunted.

"I can see why you'd like them," Kristine said."You're just as stupid."

"Am not!" David said.

"For a sophomore, David, you act like a first grader," Alyssa told him.

"David, if you were smarter, you'd know how dumb you are," Kristine said.

"Whatever.Anyway, you're very jealous," David said.Then he turned back to the guys."Did you see that?Kristine is, like, madly in love with me!"


	5. The Arrival (Finally!!)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After driving ten hours, the group finally arrived at the Powers Ferry Crowne Plaza Hotel.It was midnight and everyone walked up to their rooms immediately.Angela was sooo thrilled about rooming with a dancer.She didn't mind the band twins, because she figured that they'd take her mind off rooming with a dancer.They entered their room and Angela immediately claimed one side of one of the beds.

The dancer, Amy Casey, entered the room right after them."Hey," she greeted."Can I put my stuff right here?"

Angela shrugged."Sure."She'd figure that she'd give her a chance.

"By the way, I really want to apologize for what Katie, Eve and Katrina said earlier," Amy told her."That was really mean what they did and I say that if you like him, go for it."

Surprised, Angela smiled."Thanks, but trust me, you don't have to apologize for them."

"No, I think I should on their behalf," Amy said."I get so fed up with their snobbery too.Everyone on the team does.Just ignore them and you'll be fine."

"Thanks," Angela sincerely said.

The twins, Beth and Bianca, finished getting ready for bed and Angela went into the bathroom.Amy followed and took the other sink."So how did you two meet?" she asked.

"I saw him one day after school at practice and I just thought that he was absolutely gorgeous," Angela began.

"How could one not?" Amy asked and grinned."Sorry, keep going."  
"So I finally asked McKenzie Westmore, also known as the entire french horn section, to introduce us in December, at the Christmas music concert," Angela continued."That's why I was late getting into the chorus room and I had to make up the 'emergency' story for Mrs. Green.I didn't really talk to him again until March, when two of my friends, Tara and Kelly, were talking to him during lunch and I happened to get into the conversation.I saw him the next Tuesday after the pep rally that we were in and we got to talking about band and guard, since his sister spun on the guard at our school a while ago. The next thing I knew he was walking me to class and actually listening to what I had to say."

"Wow," Amy said."Did anything else happen after that?"

"Well, I always talk to him during even day lunch and he always walks me to class afterwards.It's kind of like our little routine," Angela explained and smiled.

"When did you find out that he was taken?" Amy asked and finished removing her makeup.

"In December," Angela told her."Mac warned me about it.I really hope that no one except for Katie, Eve and Katrina see me as the little freshman guard whore trying to break them up, because I'm not."

"I completely understand," Amy agreed."The first guy that I really fell in love with freshman year was taken, and he was a senior."

"How did it turn out?" Angela asked.

"Not great," Amy said."His girlfriend told everyone that I was a two-timing manipulative bitch and that was it.However, Emily goes to another school and not ours.You're in the clear until she finds out about you."

"Which will hopefully be never," Angela said and finished washing her face.

********************

It was around one in the morning when Angela and Amy finished getting ready for bed and got in."So are you and Jarod actually going out?" Bianca asked Angela.

"Dreamin's free," Angela said."However, my dream will soon become a reality if I have my way."

"That's the spirit," Amy complimented.

"But doesn't he—" Beth started.

"Have a girlfriend?" Angela finished."Yep.But when did that ever stop me?"

"Better save that vixen persona for tomorrow," Amy said with a laugh."You can have him all to yourself."

"I know," Angela said."And trust me, it'll work.Just sit back and enjoy the ride."


End file.
